Australia-based Woodside Energy (Woodside) will explore the potential of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain between Japan and Australia having signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with four Japanese companies.
Reflecting the demand for large-scale decarbonisation solutions, the deal will see Woodside working alongside Sumitomo Corporation, JFE Steel Corporation, Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co. Ltd and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.
The partners aim to study the capture, storage and transportation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the Setouchi and Shikoku regions of Japan and the injection and storage of the CO2 at Australian storage sites.
“The opportunity for Australia and Woodside is to use our natural advantages to progress investment in CCS and assist our regional neighbours as they decarbonise heavy industry,” said Shaun Gregory, Executive Vice President of Woodside.
“We welcome the Federal Government’s recent passing of legislation to support the transportation and sequestration of CO2 and development of Australia’s CCS industry.”
According to Woodside, the MOU also highlights the unique geological advantages of Australia with subsurface characteristics that are highly suitable for large-scale CCS projects.
A report led by CSIRO’s Towards Net Zero Mission and CarbonLock Future Science Platform explored the potential of Australia’s vast geological carbon storage capacity.
It found that nature-based technologies such as permanent plantings, plantation and farm forestry and soil carbon currently provide ‘significant potential’, whereas biochar, mineral carbonation and direct air capture (DAC) have equally significant storage potential but are associated with higher costs.
At the end of August 2023, the Australian Government released ten offshore areas for greenhouse gas storage assessment and companies were invited to submit work programme bids for acreage.
Much of the government’s work is closely aligned with or funded through the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) and CO2CRC.
As Australia’s leading CCUS research organisation, CO2CRC’s portfolio extends to clean hydrogen and other low emission technologies such as DAC and carbon negative biorefineries.
source: gasworld.com